Despite initial mixed reviews, the film was a box office success, grossing $156 million at the box office. In the film, Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam veteran, must rely on his combat and survival skills when a series of brutal events results in him having to survive a massive manhunt by police and government troops near the small town of Hope, Washington.įirst Blood was released in the United States on October 22, 1982. The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by David Morrell, which many directors and studios had unsuccessfully attempted to adapt in the 1970s. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle, and is the first installment in the Rambo franchise, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II. First Blood (also known as Rambo: First Blood) is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.
